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Okinawa 1945
The Royal Navy's biggest carrier campaign
Okinawa 1945
The Royal Navy's biggest carrier campaign
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Description
This fully illustrated study explains the British Pacific Fleet's campaign against the Japanese in the Sakishima Islands, its overlooked role in the battle for Okinawa.
The invasion of Okinawa was, famously, the culmination of the United States' island-hopping campaign. Less well known is the fact that it was also the greatest campaign of the British Pacific Fleet's war against Japan, fought by five fleet carriers over two months, with a distinct task. The Fleet Air Arm's job at Okinawa was to suppress and destroy the Japanese airfields on the Sakashima Islands, which were used as bases for kamikazes as well as to route aircraft from Japan to Okinawa.
In this book, naval expert Angus Konstam offers a newly researched account of the Fleet Air Arm's air campaign in the Sakashimas. By 1945, the carriers and their aircrews were well worked up, and ready to tackle challenging and important targets. He explains the capabilities of the late-war Fleet Air Arm at Okinawa, and analyses their effectiveness against Japan's still-dangerous airpower. Famously, at Okinawa the Royal Navy's armoured carriers proved much more resilient to kamikaze strikes than the wooden-topped carriers of the Americans.
Packed with spectacular original artwork, photographs, diagrams and maps, this book is a superbly illustrated history of the Royal Navy's most extensive carrier campaign.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
CHRONOLOGY
ATTACKER'S CAPABILITIES
DEFENDER'S CAPABILITIES
– Sakishima military defences
– Miyako Jima garrison
– Ishigaki Jima garrison
– Anti-aircraft defences
– Aircraft
– The Kamikaze threat
CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES
– The strategic picture
– Operation Iceberg
– The British mission
THE CAMPAIGN
– Joining the US Fifth Fleet
– The first attacks
– Day 2 – 27 March
– L-Day
– The first Kamikaze strike
– Operation Iceberg Oolong
– Return to the Sakishimas
– From Leyte to Miyako
– The return of the Kamikazes
– The final phase
AFTERMATH AND ANALYSIS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
Product details
Published | Jan 27 2026 |
---|---|
Format | Paperback |
Edition | 1st |
Extent | 96 |
ISBN | 9781472866745 |
Imprint | Osprey Publishing |
Illustrations | Illustrated throughout with 65 photos and 14 pages of colour illustrations |
Dimensions | 10 x 7 inches |
Series | Air Campaign |
Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |